Dating in college is like trying to find lunch in college.

We all want the good stuff: pizza. There are those who will spend extra money for the “expensive” stuff in Charleston.

These people are the ones who go the extra mile on your date, show up with flowers and whisper sweet words.

These are the ones who will make you feel special but in the end leave you wondering what you did wrong.

The next is the group who buys the “cheaper” pizza in Charleston. These are the people you meet at the basic college party.

They will fill your red solo cup up and keep replenishing it after you only took a sip. These are the people that are socializing with you for one thing and one thing only.

Then there are those who invite you over for frozen pizza and video games.

These people are the ones who you know you can chill with.

You may have feelings for this one, but you know they do not care about you as much as you care about them. So you settle for being their “bro.”

But after you wade through all those choices you meet the one who does not want pizza.

They want to take you out to your favorite place. This time it could be anywhere in Charleston or beyond. They want to make you happy, despite having to drive all the way to Champaign for sushi.

You may feel a little skeptical. All you have been having for the past months was pizza, but eventually you realize that this person is actually in it for something.

Dating in college is weird. Seriously. You either meet the person you’re supposed to marry or you ended up just dating around.

You end up at your senior year realizing that you would rather be by yourself and finish with a sober mind and long lasting experiences.

Dating was weird for me in college. I think it is that I have high expectations and high values of myself. I met a lot of people in college who I have been interested in and have tried to date.

They were all either a “bro,” pretty face or complete waste of my time. You cannot have an actual relationship with someone who has a head as empty as a flowerpot.

How are you to have a lasting conversation with your partner if they cannot even get social ques?

Dating is not a required experience in college. It can be a nice distraction from everyday life.

But now looking back, I wish I had stayed single for my entire college career.

My life would have ended up differently. But I’m not hating on those who chose to find themselves through partners or those who are just having some fun or those who think they found the one.

I’m just saying do not let dating over take your time. Don’t dwell on the fact that you have not found a partner for a while. Instead find yourself.

Because in the long run, if you cannot love yourself, then how do you expect anyone to love you?

Liz Dowell is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or lhdowell@eiu.edu.